diff --git a/build-aux/bracket-spacing.pl b/build-aux/check-spacing.pl
similarity index 98%
rename from build-aux/bracket-spacing.pl
rename to build-aux/check-spacing.pl
index 5bc96d27500f3d0f19d0be40751e7befa608e219..83b58987b2275677f478ceabd4ad963f222c91eb 100755
--- a/build-aux/bracket-spacing.pl
+++ b/build-aux/check-spacing.pl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/perl
 #
-# bracket-spacing.pl: Report any usage of 'function (..args..)'
+# check-spacing.pl: Report any usage of 'function (..args..)'
 # Also check for other syntax issues, such as correct use of ';'
 #
 # This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index d75ae0e2164f5bb6ad28c4982c6b78218b429563..297ca3a4dfa4e7cde7eade7283ac4c80d4112558 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -1097,12 +1097,12 @@ _autogen:
 
 # regenerate HACKING as part of the syntax-check
 ifneq ($(_gl-Makefile),)
-syntax-check: $(top_srcdir)/HACKING bracket-spacing-check test-wrap-argv
+syntax-check: $(top_srcdir)/HACKING spacing-check test-wrap-argv
 endif
 
-bracket-spacing-check:
+spacing-check:
 	$(AM_V_GEN)files=`$(VC_LIST) | grep '\.c$$'`; \
-	$(PERL) $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/bracket-spacing.pl $$files || \
+	$(PERL) $(top_srcdir)/build-aux/check-spacing.pl $$files || \
 	  { echo '$(ME): incorrect formatting, see HACKING for rules' 1>&2; \
 	    exit 1; }